Combination purse and billfold



June 20, 1950 w. H. sr. THOMAS COMBINATION PURSE AND BILLFOLD Filed Jan. 11, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Mum/w H d'rZ /o/wns Arron/v59:

June 20, 1950 w. H. s'r THOMAS COMBINATION PURSE AND BILLF'OLD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 11, 1949 INVENTOR. Mum/v h! Jr 72/044:

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Patented June 20, 1950 COMBINATION PURSE AND BlLLFOLD 7 William H. St. Thomas, Gloversville, N. Y., as

signor to St. Thomas Inc., a corporation of New York- Gloversville, N. Y.,

Application January 11, 1949, Serial No. 70,257

type which comprise a combination purse and billfold.

One object of the invention is to provide a combined purse and billfold of novel construction which may be folded to permit it to be readily carried in a pocket or handbag.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combined purse and billfold, as characterized above, wherein access may be had to'the billfold and the purse without unfolding the billfold and wherein access may be had to the purse and/ or the billfold independently of each other.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combined purse and billfold, as characterized above, wherein the billfold is provided with two accesses thereto and through which bills may be withdrawn.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following specification when considered with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing one form of combined purse and billfold constructed in accordance with the present invention, in an unfolded position;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the-combined purse and billfold of Fig. 1, in folded position;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the combined purse and billfold showing the purse and billfold mouths open;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional View, taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view, with parts broken away, showing the outline of one end of the wall forming members.

The invention covered by this application is an improvement over that shown in my copending application, Ser. No. 766,590, filed August 6, 1947, and now U. S. Patent No. 2,488,444, issued November 15, 1949, for Combination Purse and Billfold.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown.

in Figs.- 1, 2 and 4, one form of a combined purse and billfold constructed in accordance with the present invention and comprising a purse portion, indicated generally at In and having a mouth oraccess opening H, and a billfold portion, indicated generally at l2-"and-having a 3 Claims. (01.150-3'5) mouth or access opening l3 and an elongated second access-opening [4 provided with a slid fastener closure member l5.

The billfold is adaptedto be folded on itself about aoentral transverse fold line, as shown in Fig. 2, and maintained in this folded position by fastening means such ascooperating snap fastener elements l6, I! mounted on the outer surface of the inner side of the billfold, each adjacent one end thereof.

The purse portion includes a pair of opposed flexible wall members l8, l9 joined together throughout the greater portion of their periphery to form a purse pocket or compartment 20. The unjoined peripheral portions of the members form the mouth or access opening I l to the purse compartment. While the wall members l8, [9 may be made of any suitable material or may be made of a single piece of material folded along a transverse fold line, in the particular embodiment shown, they are separate members, identical in size and are substantially rectangular in outline. They are preferably made of leather and their peripheral edges are preferably joined together by sewing.

The billfold portion includes a pair of opposed flexible wall members 25, 22 joined together throughout the greater portion of their periphery to form a billfold pocket or compartment 23. While the wall members 2!, 22 may be made of any suitable material or may be made of a single piece of material foldedalong a transverse fold line, in the particular embodiment shown, they are separate members identical in size and are substantially rectangular in outline. They are preferably made of cloth and their peripheral edges are preferably joined together by sewing. They are also extremely longer and slightly wider than the wall members l8, 19 which form the purse space or pocket.

Means are provided for closing the mouths of the purse and billfold compartments or pockets,

and for attaching the two pockets together. In

the particular embodiment shown, such means comprises three U-shaped frame members 24, 25 and-26. The frame members are of the usual construction and havetheir corresponding legs pivotally connected together, as at 21 and 28. The frame member 24 is suitably secured, as by crimping, tothe unjoined peripheral edge portion of the purse wall-member l8 and the free edge portion of the billfold wall member 2!; the frame member 25 is secured, as by crimping, to the free edge portion of the purse wall member I9; theframe member 26 is--'secured,--as by crimping to the free edge portion of the billfold wall member 22. The middle frame member 25 is provided with a fastener member 29 adapted to cooperate with co-fastener members 30 and 3|, carried by the frame members 24 and 26, respectively. The construction is such that the frame members 24 and 25 are pivoted at 21 and 28 to provide closure means for the purse pocket, and the frame members 25 and 26' are pivoted at 27 and 28 to provide closure means for the billfold pocket, thereby permitting the mouth or access opening of both compartments to be opened or closed and locked in the closed position independently of each other.

In order to facilitate the insertion and removal of bills from the billfold pocket and to prevent any interference with such insertion and removal by the purse pocket which extends into the billfold pocket, a flexible separating wall member 32 may be provided. The wall member 32 is pref erably made of cloth, is generally rectangular in outline, and extends slightly below the purse pocket. The wall member 32 has its left hand edge, as viewed in Fig. 2., and a portion of its top and bottom edges, secured to the cross bar and legs of the inner frame member 25, as by crimping, the remaining portion of its top and bottom edges are secured between the top and bottom edges of the outer and inner billfold wall forming members 2i, 22 and its right hand edge is secured, as by stitching, to the outer billfold wall forming member 2| (see Fig. 3). This construction seals off the purse pocket from the space forming the billfold pocket and prevents the purse pocket from interfering with the insertion and removal of bills from the billfold pocket.

To facilitate the insertion of bills into the billfold pocket, the inner billfold wall member 22 is provided with a longitudinal slot or opening l4, located preferably adjacent the upper edge and extending intermediate the side edges, as shown in Fig. 1. The opening 14 may be provided with suitable closure means such as a slide fastener 15. In addition, the opening o slot l4 may have a reinforcing border member 33, preferably made of leather.

In order to give the combined purse and billfold a more finished appearance and to improve its wearing qualities, an outer cover wall member 34, preferably of leather, may be provided. The wall member 34 is similar in size and shape to the billfold wall members 2|, 22, and is secured to these members throughout the greater portion of its periphery. Preferably, and as shown in the drawings, the cover wall member 34 is provided with an integral flange 35 which is folded over the peripheral edges of the wall members 2 l 22, and all three members, including the flange, secured together, as by stitching, to form a hemmed edge. The unattached edge portion of the cover wall member 34 is secured to the cross bar and legs of the frame member 24, as by crimping.

In addition to the billfold pocket 23, a second billfold pocket 35 may be provided, if desired. The billfo'ld pocket 36 is formed between the inner billfold wall member 22 and a wall member 31 coextensive in length with but narrower than the wall member 22. The wall member 31 is secured to the wall member 22 along its bottom and right hand edges, as viewed in Fig. l, and has its left hand edge secured to the frame member 25.

A card space 38 may be provided, if desired, by securing a wall member 39 along its bottom,v

top and right hand edges, as viewed in Fig. l,

to the wall member 31. Preferably, and as shown in the drawings, the bottom and right hand edges of the wall members 31 and 39 are enclosed by the folded over flange 35 and secured by the stitching securing the flange.

Preferably, the wall members 31 and 39 are made of leather and are of a sufiicient width to slightly overlap the lower edge of the leather border member 33. Thisconstruction'insures that the entire exposed surfaces of the combined purse and billfold will be of leather, thereby improving its appearance and wearing quality.

While the purse wall members l8, 19, the billfold wall members 2|, 22, the separating wall member 32, the cover wall member 34, and the wall member 31 have been described as substantially rectangular in outline, preferably, in order to provide greater fullness to the mouths of the purse and billfold pockets, the ends of these members which are attached to the frame members 24, 25 and 23 are provided with triangular shaped extensions 40, at their outer edges, as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 7. The upper edges 4| of these extensions are secured, a by crimping,

to the leg portions of the frame members, thus providing greater fullness in the mouths of the pockets, as shown in Figs. 1 and-2.

From the foregoingit readily will be seen that there has been provided a combined purse and billfold which is simple and economical in construction and one which permits ready access to the billfold without exposing the contents thereof and ready access to the coin purse without opening the billfold.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is: I

l. A combined purse and billfold. comprising a pair of opposed flexible purse wall forming members similar in size and shape and having their peripheral edges secured together throughout a portion of their extent to form a purse pocket,- the unsecured portions of the edges forming a mouth to the purse pocket; a pair of opposed flexible bill pocket wall forming members similar in size and shape, generally rectangular in outline and having their peripheral edges secured together throughout the greater portion of their extent to form a bill pocket, unsecured end portions of. the edges forming a mouth to the bill pocket, said bill pocket having an elongated longitudinal opening therein for the lateral insertion and removal of bills therethrough; three frame members hingedly connected together, one of the frame members being secured to the mouth forming edge portion of one of the purse wall forming members, another of the frame members being secured to the mouth forming edge portion of the other of the purse wall forming members and to the mouth forming edgeportion of one of the bill pocketwall forming members; and the third frame member being secured to the mouth forming edge portion of the other of the bill pocket wall forming members; a generally rectangular flexible separator member extending into said bill pocket below the inner end of said purse pocket and having its lower end secured to the bill pocket wall forming member contiguous to the purse pocket intermediate its ends to seal off the purse pocket from the bill pocket, the upper end of the separator member being secured to the middle frame member; and cooperating closure means carried by said frame members whereby the mouths to the purse and bill pockets may be opened, closed, and retained in their closed position independently of each other.

2. A combined purse and billfold, as set forth in claim 1, including a cover wall forming member similar in size and shape to said bill pocket Wall forming members, said cover wall forming member being superimposed upon and having the greater portion of it peripheral edge secured to the corresponding peripheral edge of the bill pocket wall forming member contiguous to the purse pocket and having the remainder of its peripheral edge secured to the frame member to which said last named bill pocket wall forming member is secured.

3. A combined purse and billfold comprising in combination, three frame members hinged on a common axis; an elongated bill pocket formed by substantially rectangular flexible inner and outer walls secured to the two outer of said frame members, said bill pocket having an elongated longitudinal opening therein for the lateral insertion and removal of bills therethrough; a purse pocket 20 wall secured to the middle frame member; and a flexible separating member having one end secured to the middle frame member and having the other end secured to the outer wall of the bill pocket intermediate its ends to seal off the purse pocket from the bill pocket.

WILLIAM H. ST. THOMAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 139,607 Halber Dec. 5, 1944 1,235,049 Nover July 31, 1917 2,291,259 Sherwood July 28, 1942 2,298,543 Schmidt Oct. 13, 1942 2,397,393 Wetterhahn Mar. 26, 1946 2,419,846 Merz Apr. 29, 1947 2,428,707 Hardy Oct. 7, 1947 2,463,917 Stember Mar. 8, 1949 2,488,444 St. Thomas Nov. 15, 1949 

